Hairymammal
Member
- Posts
- 20
- Location
- Wiltshire
A few weeks ago my 110 300tdi cut out just after starting whilst I was fiddling with the stereo prior to setting off for work. A few attempted restarts resulted in nothing except the starter turning over. Luckily I was able to let Mrs Hairymammal know that she would have to go without her car that day, so I could take it to work.
Returning home that evening I had already managed to read up on a few area for investigation at lunch. I quickly ruled out the fuel lift pump, that appeared to be pumping as it should. Next item was the fuel stop solenoid, breaking out the multimeter revealed that there was no 12v on the little tag whilst the connector was connected and the ignition in the right position, I took the spade connector off and tested that, there was 12v on the end of it. Looking at the bare tag it looked a little manky, (it is likely 20 years and 200,000 miles old), a quick clean up with wire wool and hey presto! A working defender, I celebrated with a joyous shout and comedy jig to greet Mrs Hairymammal as she walked back from the shops, I could tell she was really pleased.
However, the success was short lived, a week later and the defender wouldn't start, same symptoms. I quickly whipped the bonnet up and dived straight for the fuel stop solenoid, a multimeter reading said no volts on the tag of the solenoid. I took the connector off tested it, 12 volts. Connected it again and this time you could hear the solenoid click. I jumped in and successfully fired up the engine, again Mrs Hairymammal was well chuffed with the quick resolution, I've learnt to read her different stares and I'm sure it was definitely elation. I proceeded with a small nagging feeling in my mind.
A week later and things took a nastier turn. A now familiar refusal to start in Tescos resulted in a bit of faffing but eventual success. The real problem was when I got home and parked the defender on the front of the drive blocking Mrs Hairymammal car in. It was practice for the parents vs teachers rounders match that evening, I outshone myself thwacking the ball into the middle of next week and impressing the all female team with my bat handling skills. Unfortunately I managed to trip over a goal post hiding in the grass whilst running after a ball, a limp home and I proclaimed to Mrs Hairymammal that the injury was so severe I would need her to drive me to A & E. A babysitter was arranged for the kiddies and we jumped in the Landrover to head off, or not, a refusal to start being the inevitable problem. Mrs Hairymammal was kind enough to point out that she would need her car tomorrow to get to London, a call to the roadside recovery people to tow the defender off the drive and me getting a lift to the hospital from the babysitter ensued. Mrs Hairymammal had a very warm welcome for me on my return.
There the defender sat for a week until I could have a look at it, upon inspection and testing for voltage the connector that goes on to the tag of the solenoid literally fell off in my hands guv. A quick lead was made up with a new connector and soldered onto the now shortened cable, success! All those problems due to a crap/dodgy connector I thought. Fast forward with lots of hassle free driving and then today again a refusal to start. It appears as if the immobiliser which controls the feed to the solenoid couldn't push out enough current to power the solenoid. Looking at the multimeter it read 12v on the connector when disconnected from the solenoid and I watched as the volts dropped to nothing as I connected the connector onto the solenoid.
I have opened up the immobiliser box to unveil the following:
This apparently, after a bit of investigation, is the land rover answer to the spider problem. Although I had previously thought the immobiliser was a eureka one as the fob looked like this:
I could see under the land rover sticker some writing, I peeled it back to reveal:
Which is, as far as I can tell the eureka immobiliser identification. Looking up a replacement land rover immobiliser, it would set you back 250 quid, I have found the eureka one for around 100. Did land rover really buy up the eureka alarms, stick their sticker on it and charge more than double? Has anyone experienced any similar issues with their immobiliser? I thought the replacement immobiliser was meant to be better, does it sound feasible that it's not kicking out enough amps to power the solenoid? Incidentely I have tested the solenoid with a direct feed from the battery and the defender starts with no problem, I'm about to go and fudge a wire from the switched side of the ignition to the solenoid as a temporary measure. I have also tested a replacement solenoid I procured just in case and it was drawing around 1.6 amps, think I might go and see what the solenoid in the car draws when working. Any thoughts welcome.....
Returning home that evening I had already managed to read up on a few area for investigation at lunch. I quickly ruled out the fuel lift pump, that appeared to be pumping as it should. Next item was the fuel stop solenoid, breaking out the multimeter revealed that there was no 12v on the little tag whilst the connector was connected and the ignition in the right position, I took the spade connector off and tested that, there was 12v on the end of it. Looking at the bare tag it looked a little manky, (it is likely 20 years and 200,000 miles old), a quick clean up with wire wool and hey presto! A working defender, I celebrated with a joyous shout and comedy jig to greet Mrs Hairymammal as she walked back from the shops, I could tell she was really pleased.
However, the success was short lived, a week later and the defender wouldn't start, same symptoms. I quickly whipped the bonnet up and dived straight for the fuel stop solenoid, a multimeter reading said no volts on the tag of the solenoid. I took the connector off tested it, 12 volts. Connected it again and this time you could hear the solenoid click. I jumped in and successfully fired up the engine, again Mrs Hairymammal was well chuffed with the quick resolution, I've learnt to read her different stares and I'm sure it was definitely elation. I proceeded with a small nagging feeling in my mind.
A week later and things took a nastier turn. A now familiar refusal to start in Tescos resulted in a bit of faffing but eventual success. The real problem was when I got home and parked the defender on the front of the drive blocking Mrs Hairymammal car in. It was practice for the parents vs teachers rounders match that evening, I outshone myself thwacking the ball into the middle of next week and impressing the all female team with my bat handling skills. Unfortunately I managed to trip over a goal post hiding in the grass whilst running after a ball, a limp home and I proclaimed to Mrs Hairymammal that the injury was so severe I would need her to drive me to A & E. A babysitter was arranged for the kiddies and we jumped in the Landrover to head off, or not, a refusal to start being the inevitable problem. Mrs Hairymammal was kind enough to point out that she would need her car tomorrow to get to London, a call to the roadside recovery people to tow the defender off the drive and me getting a lift to the hospital from the babysitter ensued. Mrs Hairymammal had a very warm welcome for me on my return.
There the defender sat for a week until I could have a look at it, upon inspection and testing for voltage the connector that goes on to the tag of the solenoid literally fell off in my hands guv. A quick lead was made up with a new connector and soldered onto the now shortened cable, success! All those problems due to a crap/dodgy connector I thought. Fast forward with lots of hassle free driving and then today again a refusal to start. It appears as if the immobiliser which controls the feed to the solenoid couldn't push out enough current to power the solenoid. Looking at the multimeter it read 12v on the connector when disconnected from the solenoid and I watched as the volts dropped to nothing as I connected the connector onto the solenoid.
I have opened up the immobiliser box to unveil the following:
This apparently, after a bit of investigation, is the land rover answer to the spider problem. Although I had previously thought the immobiliser was a eureka one as the fob looked like this:
I could see under the land rover sticker some writing, I peeled it back to reveal:
Which is, as far as I can tell the eureka immobiliser identification. Looking up a replacement land rover immobiliser, it would set you back 250 quid, I have found the eureka one for around 100. Did land rover really buy up the eureka alarms, stick their sticker on it and charge more than double? Has anyone experienced any similar issues with their immobiliser? I thought the replacement immobiliser was meant to be better, does it sound feasible that it's not kicking out enough amps to power the solenoid? Incidentely I have tested the solenoid with a direct feed from the battery and the defender starts with no problem, I'm about to go and fudge a wire from the switched side of the ignition to the solenoid as a temporary measure. I have also tested a replacement solenoid I procured just in case and it was drawing around 1.6 amps, think I might go and see what the solenoid in the car draws when working. Any thoughts welcome.....
